Experts meet in Kano over massive cassava production, bio-ethanol value chain

Stakeholders in the cassava business have converged on Kano to discuss ways of improving the crop’s plantation and value addition.

The stakeholders, consisting of farmers, academics, and institutes, are advocating for more means of producing cassava and a bio-ethanol value chain in the country.

Bio-economy is the knowledge-based production and use of molecular biology of plant and animal origin and processes to create a wide range of products and services across all sectors of the economy.

Nigeria has been developing its knowledge-based bio-economy with an emphasis on triple- or quadruple-Helix Knowledge Transfer Partnerships between universities, academia, institutes, and others.

Stakeholders converged on Bayero University Kano to engage themselves on the use of innovative technologies and molecular microorganisms of plant and animal origin to produce a wide range of products and services.

In this regard, they are targeting support for a pilot project for cassava-bioethanol value chain development.

The stakeholders believe that if cassava production is improved, it will provide employment opportunities and create wealth since only 7 percent of graduates get jobs.

They also plan to reach out to students through participating universities by allocating about 20 hectares of land at Agriculture Teaching Farmlands for the growing of cassava hybrid 419 under the supervision of experts.

They are also optimistic that doing so will provide economic diversification, clean and alternative energy, and the conversion of bio-waste into bio-wealth.